How to spend a weekend in Bruges

Bruges, an hours train journey west of Brussels, Belgium is one of the quaintest little "cities" you'll find in Europe. From the UK you have many options of how to travel, from plane, ferry, car or train. I opted for the Eurostar so that I could kick back with a good book and make the most of not driving somewhere for once. I may have also snuck in a glass or two of wine on the journey also. Here's a few tips on how to spend an awesome weekend in Bruges.

ONE. Wear comfortable walking shoes.

Bruges may be small but its filled with cobbled streets and the last thing you want to do is have to stop walking around if your feet hurt as there are plenty of side streets to explore and see something historic or pretty. That being said, there are also plenty of pubs/bars/breweries you could stop at to rest your feet so on second thoughts, wear whatever footwear you like.

Bruges - filled with canals to explore

TWO. Get up early to avoid the queues at the bell tower

Bruges's bell tower is old. Built in the early 12th century and the piece de resistance of the market square. It stands just over 80 metres tall and you can climb up it and hear the bells ringing from inside the tower. Apparently one of the bells weighs just over 6 tonnes... how the hell did they get it up there back then?

THREE. Prepare to overindulge

Famous for its beer and chocolate its hard to come to Bruges and stick to a "diet". I'm a big fan of living in the moment and trying everything at least once, so as you can imagine in a place like this you really can and should over indulge in all of the tasty treats available. From unique chocolates, hot waffles, beautiful beers and even hand crafted vodkas (my personal favourite was the vanilla vodka) it really caters for everyones taste.

Waffle on a stick

FOUR. Head out towards the windmills.

Just outside the main town square, about a 15 minute walk, you will find some lovely traditional windmills to admire. As it’s out of the main town there are also some lovely little pubs you can stop off at that are not packed full of tourists. The windmills make for an excellent photo op and a chance to see some of the smaller roads and buildings along the way that are old, historic and beautiful.

Bruges Windmill

FIVE. Stay in a B&B rather than a hotel.

Sure if you want to you can certainly stay in some of the hotels in the middle of the town, there are plenty to choose from, but for a more authentic stay and a way to support local businesses and sustainable tourism then check out some of the cute B&B’s available. Not only do the owners fetch you fresh goodies for breakfast from local bakeries and greengrocers, but you might just here some unique stories about the town from your host like we did.

Life motto

My only other thought on how to enjoy Bruges is to make sure you have enough room in your case/bag to bring back some of the lovely goodies you find on your trip, you won't want to leave anything behind. Safe travels my friends.